Guido Crepax

Guido Crepax does not get enough credit. The innovations he brought to comics and the new lexicon he created with his panel design can only be marveled at as genius. When I first saw his work in Heavy Metal, I immediately noticed the sexuality of the art but found it a bit strange at first. I think this is where people stop looking at his art for the most part. They write it off as pornographic and often it is with sadomasochistic themes and violence but there is a real art to his work. The sexuality is organic and oozes from the elongated and elegant figures. Eyes, ears, lips, hands...all become characters in his work. For me, it is his panel design I most admire. Going from tall thin panels to short long panels, small and large sizes with sometimes images occupying multiple panels...it really is a new vocabulary for comics and storytelling. I look at Chris Ware's work and admire his panel designs and when I had a chance to meet Chris, I asked about Crepax's influence on him and he said it was huge and one he doesn't often credit enough. Crepax's art can seem a bit dated as it embraced the zietgeist of the 60's and 70's in terms of liberties, sensibilities, attitudes, fashion and music which I think just adds to its charm. I'd challenge anyone who doesn't get Crepax to revisit some of his pages but through the lens of figure design, panel design and layouts. I think you will find something akin to an epiphany.